The number of robberies in Burlington has increased over recent years, despite Vermont ranking as the safest state in the country.

Across the state, robberies are up by 40 percent, according to a Tweet sent out by the Burlington Police Department. In Burlington, 911 calls regarding robberies rose from 22 in 2014 to 38 in 2015, according to data posted by the department. So far, there have been 22 robberies reported in 2016.

Vermont is the safest state in the country according to an analysis of FBI data by 24/7 Wall Street. The analysis found the state's violent crime rate to be 118 incidents per 100,000 residents.

Burlington Police Chief Brandon del Pozo attributed the rise to heroin use and the opiate crisis. Many of the robberies are drug-related, either an addict seeking money for drugs or robbing a pharmacy to get access to drugs.

The city's recently announced initiative to use a data-driven approach to battle addiction is, in part, a response to the rise in drug-related crime.

"We realize that public health crises result in crimes," del Pozo said.